Release Date:
Friday, March 29, 2002
If the Lifetime channel decided to make a movie aimed at guys, the results might look something like The Rookie. Its like a chick flick for menthe same sappy melodrama and heart-tugging sentiment, only set in the world of baseball instead of single motherhood or terminal illness.
The G rating should clue you in that this is no Bull Durham, and The Rookie cant even match Field of Dreams for father-son-bond-over-baseball effectiveness. The true story of a Texas teacher who makes a late stab at playing in the majors, this movie is divided into two parts: the first, a Bad News Bears-style story of how his ragtag group of high school players becomes inspired and wins a championship, and the second, the tale of an older man trying to play a young mans game. Focusing on one or the other might have unearthed some meatier material, since theres a painful lack of drama. Everything happens just like you know it will, because the music tells you so. While Dennis Quaid and Six Feet Unders Rachel Griffiths are solid, Brian Cox is wasted as Quaids estranged father. Rather than trudge out to see this, stay home and play catch with your own kid (or get a loaner from a harried sibling).
The G rating should clue you in that this is no Bull Durham, and The Rookie cant even match Field of Dreams for father-son-bond-over-baseball effectiveness. The true story of a Texas teacher who makes a late stab at playing in the majors, this movie is divided into two parts: the first, a Bad News Bears-style story of how his ragtag group of high school players becomes inspired and wins a championship, and the second, the tale of an older man trying to play a young mans game. Focusing on one or the other might have unearthed some meatier material, since theres a painful lack of drama. Everything happens just like you know it will, because the music tells you so. While Dennis Quaid and Six Feet Unders Rachel Griffiths are solid, Brian Cox is wasted as Quaids estranged father. Rather than trudge out to see this, stay home and play catch with your own kid (or get a loaner from a harried sibling).